Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA
A diverse, welcoming community of open hearts and minds since 1948
Todd Parola's Page
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- How long have you attended UUCAVA?
- 1999
- What does multiculturalism mean to you?
- For those of us raised in somewhat outside-the mainstream, Multiculturalism may simply be a description of what the world empirically "is."
Or it might be considered a state of Liberal theoretical conscience,employing measures of affirmative corrective action, promoted among individuals and institutions as a means of redressing the legacies (deeply embedded institutionalized racism and injustice) of subjugation and attempted genocide visited upon indigenous cultures by the expansion of European power across the globe.
All life, culture is sacred. But it is a mistake to pretend that multiculturalism is a moral and qualitative leveler of experience. It should not be construed to say that "one experience is just as good as another." This is Not true. There are myriad cultural experiences that are not moral equals. So it is better that we should understand "multiculturalism" as a mentality demanded by a 21st C American conscience that admits to and seeks correction for the ills brought by the global impact of American and European dominance.
So it is best that we use it as a reminder of the vast variety of unknown human experience that begs not only for the validation that is offered by UU principles, but also the critique; not mistaken for a warm and fuzzy essentialist blanket that ameliorates difference, but applies as a corrective lens of generous inquiry and understanding with justice at heart.
- What religion or spiritual practices did you grow up with?
- Wagner, Rogers and Hart/Hammerstein, Shakespeare, cheesy "Hawaiian" songs
- Tell us a little about yourself/your family/your interests:
- I'm a multi-ethnic dog: Chinese, Hawaiian, Italian. My (professionally academic) parents, though relatively recently converted to UU, were strident secular humanists that planted and nurtured my contempt for organized religion.
Professionally, I am a photographer trained in painting, with a MFA from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Both my studies and professional life have brought me into critical dialogue on matters of multiculturalism.
My graduate studies introduced me to a variety of thinkers in the post-structuralist, critical theory vein. These include, among others, Michel Foucault, Julia Kristeva, and specifically on post colonial theory I have read Homi Bha Bha and Edward Said.
On matters more focussed on american race and civil rights issues, I have read Cornel West, bell hooks, Ronald Takaki, Lani Guinier.
This is a tiny list of thinkers, (and I do not suppose that my introduction to them constitutes great authority of any kind - rather, I consider myself humble and circumspect to the dialogue).
Working for the Chicago Artists' Coalition in the early 90's I produced a conference for non-profit organizations entitled "Who Gets the Money: Funding Cultural Diversity in Chicago." This was attended by local, state, and private foundation professionals, as well as staffers from both human service and cultural non-profits in the area.
As president of the pan-asian DestinAsian arts group, I attended and received a diploma from the MacArthur Foundation's Curriculum on Collaboration (which was in many ways an answer to many of the questions that arose from the conference that I had produced a year earlier). The Curriculum sought to teach relationship-building across race and socio-economic lines and organizational missions, to promote dialogue and a more efficient and holistic integration of cultural and human service programming around the city.
RICE MATTERS - A project that captured the imagination of many, but which was never launched, considered the staple rice and it's impact on latin and asian identities as a cultural nexus. I would love to refashion this for Arlington's latin and asian communities.
Spiritually? As I mention, I have been categorically hostile to organized religion which I believe co-opts religio-esthetic experience and calls that grace/awe/sublime experience, a divine servant of it's own particular institutional identity.
My own religious sensibilities oscillate between both quietism and ecstatic states that I have explored through some years of buddhist practice; rock and jazz music; and psychedelic experimentation. I think esthetics actually unifies and best describes the phenomenon that I experience as "spiritual."
James's "Varieties of Religious Experience" is a huge spiritual and intellectual touchstone for me, as is Chogyam Trungpa's "Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism," and I think these are both critical texts for Unitarians as we consider theological as well as ethnic diversity.
I am very circumspect about extended multicultural debate in our church for it reveals perhaps as much about our own narcissism as it does about our desire to serve. I think the phenomenon of institutionalized narcissism (not to be confused with self-criticism and healthy expressions of self worth) is a common and insidious underlayment to mission work, and as such is a profound defect of organized religion that should be avoided.
Political and social justice activity can happen anywhere - not just in churches. So In addition to dedicated social action, I imagine a church as a place of grace and sanctuary. These are ultimately the most common threads that all cultures can practice gently together.
- Why are you a Unitarian Universalist?
- I believe that free people have the responsibility and power to enact communal love, justice, forgiveness, grace, intellectual rigor and charity in their communities and that the State should be the authority and justice broker of last resort.
Given it's liberal history of inquiry into spiritual and intellectual experience and the relationship of those themes to social justice, the Unitarian Universalist church therefore may promise a uniquely fertile ground for this aspiration as it bridges the most longed for in the intersection of the spiritual, social action/justice, sexual freedom and the search for community and joy.
It follows that I am specifically interested in church social justice activities because of my (admittedly dreamy) hope that UU practice can positively influence our country's pathologically dis-functional politics, bringing into the vacuum of civility, empiricism, and reason, a restoration of faith and trust in open minded critical conversation.
Todd Parola's Photos
Todd Parola's Blog
Hostilities in Gaza and closer to home ...
I'm sitting here fretting about what's happening in Gaza,
deeply cognizant that the entire region is on the edge.
Meanwhile post election, we have wasteful discord over here
with trivial tit for tat sniping between the administration and
leaders like John McCain, who should be behaving in a manner
more befitting a guy of his stature.
I wish VOICE could send a group letter to these people to somehow
convey that the people don't need empty point scoring, but…
Posted on November 15, 2012 at 10:55am — 1 Comment
UU Youth Sunday
Our young UUs are so beautiful.
What wisdom, passion, compassion ... and outrage ... on display. What sheer joy in companionship. This congregation fills me with happiness, pride and hope.
Posted on May 13, 2012 at 2:18pm
Sat. April 21: Monthly Social Justice Meeting
April Social Justice Meeting this Saturday, 8:45 a.m. - Noon!
On the agenda are updates:
*UUCA budget/ budget hearings
*STP progress
*Preparation for the May Faith in Action meeting
*Pre-GA preparations
*A discussion of the role of our regular meetings in the UUCA Social Justice community
Monthly meetings are an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the many activities and exciting challenges UUCA Social Justice…
ContinuePosted on April 17, 2012 at 4:00pm
TELOS: Sacred & Secular, Parish & Practices
By request, I am humbly reposting as a blog, a response I wrote a week ago to the Atheism 2.0 TED discussion by Alain de Botton. In the interest of tuning it in more to current congregational themes, I have given it a name. It isn't an autonomous essay, so if you haven't checked out the Botton video, it would help. It's at the bottom of this…
ContinuePosted on February 7, 2012 at 8:00pm
Blog Posts
Agenda for Board of Trustees Business Meeting May 21
Posted by John L. Bohman on May 17, 2013 at 9:30pm
Improvement Update 5/15
Posted by Brian Smith on May 15, 2013 at 11:08am
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Comment Wall (9 comments)
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Todd- do get in touch; use my email lchager@gmail.com-- the layers of separation via the UUCA site are not my thing. -Chris
I think you are taking photos at church these days? We're having a Volunteer Fair for the Arlington Food Assistance Center in the fellowship hall after each service on Sunday. If you are planning to be there on Sunday, would you mind taking a couple photos of the set up?
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It's great to see you online!
Can I get an "Amen?" :)